Skyfall

October 2015, Norristown PA

As she looked into the mirror, the reflection showed deep wrinkles around her eyes and on her forehead. Her skin appeared blotchy and weathered by the passage of time. In her mid-sixties, the only thing that was still gushing and rushing like that of a seventeen year-old was her old heart.

 It was that time of the year again, when the entire skyline would be mottled with leaves of every hue. Leaves probably were the only things, that seemed to be most captivating when they were almost ready to depart this life. However, for her fall was not the fun season it once used to be. It wasn’t a season of fun hay-rides, pumpkin carving and apple-pies. It was a season of lasting heartache, unwept tears and skyfall. But today was different, today held a promise.

March 1968, Allentown PA

It was early April and the last folds of the white wintry blanket were disappearing. The buds were in full bloom and people and animals alike were shaking off the laziness and slumber of the winter. Her mind was working in full-throttle through the whole winter though. She had met John at a fall festival and he seemed to be the inverse of her. While she was docile and disciplined, he was casual and relaxed. Cliché it was for opposites to attract, but they fell for each other almost instantly. But now she was wondering if that was a good decision on her part. The affair had left her three months pregnant. Sooner or later her parents would find out and so they did.

She was the only child her parents had and they treasured her. They were not going to have her bear the burden of being a single mother. In those days, only celebrities could afford that kind of luxury. At the same time, John was the same age as her and too reckless to marry off their daughter to. Staunch Catholics by faith, abortion was something that feared to cross their minds. The decision was made. Her mother came up with the idea that they would tell her school principal and neighbors that she had secured a scholarship for pursuing her interest in the piano in London and so she would be going there for the next six months. In those days, the internet was still a thing of the far distant future and people could easily make up things like that when it came to matters of convenience.

During this period, she would be housed in the old shed behind the woods that lined their backyard. Her father used the shed to store his gardening equipment and it was invisible from the road and the other houses. In two days, he transformed it to a somewhat habitable space. The winter chill having subsided, the weather was not a concern. The days in her new house were not so bad. She spent most of her time reading books and the rest staring out of the window at the grazing deer and hares darting around in the grass. The nights were much tougher; the darkness brought with it the fear and uncertainty of the unknown in every aspect. While she was afraid about what could be lurking outside, what kept her up late into the night was what was lurking in the future.

She was growing to love the baby inside her but she knew that it was a bond that would probably break as soon as her baby started its own free life.

Her parents kept providing her a supply of books and food and snacks as soon as night fell. They did that so that neighbors didn’t grow curious about increased activity in the shed. John had heard from friends about her scholarship in London and was a little upset that she had left without meeting him. However, reckless as he was, he moved on to enjoy his last few months in school without much thought to her. He did not have the slightest hint of the turmoil their relationship has caused in her life.

Each month that passed by was tedious, but they passed. The last few days as the delivery of her baby neared, were unbearable to say the least. The winter chill was coming during the nights and the leaves knew perfectly well that autumn was there. With each falling leaf, her heart seemed to sink just a little more within herself. She knew that her dad had arranged for adoption of the baby by a couple from across the country. The rest was a blur. Her mother had sufficient mid-wifery skills to deliver her baby. It was a girl. A beautiful little girl. She had her for three days - just three days! Then her dad took her to the Philadelphia airport and handed her to the couple whom she would know as her mom and dad. That was all she knew or all she remembered apart from the lasting heartache, the unwept tears, the perennial skyfall.

October 2015, Norristown PA

She found it difficult to believe that after forty seven years and wholesome life of a great husband and three more children, every fall her heart would ache in the same manner. This fall was different though. She was of a generation that had learnt the basic use of computers but didn’t quite understand the internet. A few days back, a lady called her and said that she had registered her gene profile online for a match and it was showing a close match with her youngest son Richard, who had also registered his gene profile in the same website. She didn’t quite understand the scientific gibberish but her heart skipped a beat. All this while, the presence of Lisa was a secret that only she knew. Her parents had kept that secret well guarded, and they were long gone now. The excitement at the prospect of meeting her exceeded any thoughts about what her other three kids would think about her once they found out.

In a few minutes, the door bell rang. She was looking at her reflection but her wrinkles had disappeared and her skin was blotchy no more. She didn’t feel the need to decipher scientific gibberish any longer. All the pain of the years seemed to vanish. She wondered if she looked as good as the falling leaves. Today was different, today held a promise. Skyfall had ended.